Fruit juice extraction



Dec. 2",A 1941. F. D. CHAPMAN FRUIT JUICE EXTRACTION Fil'ed July 24, 1939 liLlLv INVENTOR :E111- 11ml Patented Dec. 2, 1941 UNITED STATI-:s PATENT I yoliv-ici: t l'morlox l ljilliim This invention relates in general to improvements in the art of extracting juice from fruit or the like, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of apparatus i'or4 removing vthe juice from fruit objectssuch as oranges. lemons, grape-fruit or y similar fruit bodies.

Generally dened, an object of my invention is to provide improvements in fruit juice extraction whereby the juice may be removed without contamination thereof by peeling or skin lavors.

Many attempts have heretofore been made to rapidly kand. eectively extract the juice from successive fruit objects or bodies in order to permit marketing .of the juice alone rather than the whole fruits. While -it is a relatively simple matter to thus extract the juice from many fruits and vegetables, it is more diiiicult to remove the juice from citrous fruits such as oranges. lemons and grape-fruit because of the fact that the skins or peelings of such fruits contain oils and navoring substances which are detrimental to the palatability of the juice, if permitted to mix therewith. The prior methods and apparatus for eiecting extractionof citrous fruit juices, have not avoided such mixture of the contaminating substances with the juice, and the product produced by these methods has therefore been relatively uncommercial and unsatisfaiory.

It istherefore a more specic object of my present invention to provide improved equipment for removing juice from citrous fruit, in a Irapid and emcient manner and without contaminating the juice with peeling avors. l

Another 'specific object of the invention"is to provide an improved simple and effective apparatus for automatically removing the juice from a succession of fruit objects.

. A further speciic object of my invention isto provide a vdurable and compact fruit juice extracting mechanism of large capacity, `which A`is adapted to eiectively handle fruit objects or bodies of various sizes.

-These and other specic objects and advantages will Ybe apparentfrom the following cletailed description.

A clear conception ofthe several features constituting the present invention, and of the con- -struction and operation of one type of mechanism for carrying on commercial exploitation thereof, may be had by referring to 'the drawing accompanying and forming a part of-this specification 'f wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various View.

1.2 Claims. .(01. 100-47) 1 f I for carrying on my new mode of extracting fruit j the initial fruit feeder guides, taken along theline 4-4 of Fig. 1;

tary viewl of one of the conveyor cups and reamers; and

Q1/)Fig 6 is an inside view of one ofthe conveyor l5 CUPS.

While the invention has been shown asbeing embodied in a rather diagrammatic manner in a vsemi-automatic machine adapted to carry on myv improvement, it isl not the intention to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope since my invention may be exploited by machines of fdiierent detailed construction than that specifically shown. f'

Referring to the drawing, the improved citrous fruit juice extractor shown therein comprises in general a reciprocal plunger 8 for intermittently feeding the successive fruit bodies or Objects 9 suchas oranges along a definite path; guiding and cutting mechanism I0 for removing a ring of outer or partial peeling from each of the objects 9 passing therethrough; a primary member orrotor II having an annular series of carrier cups I2 cooperable with a guide wall I3 to conduct 4the ring peeled objects 9 away from the mechanism I0 towards the severing zone; a secv whilebeing severed; a rotary saw or severing blade I 5 for cutting each of the successive objectsy 9 approximately in half; annular-series yof primary and secondary Vjuice expressing plungers or reamers I6; I6' cooperable with the cups I2. SI2 respectively, to remove the Vjuice from the successive half objects carried bythe latter away from the severing zone; troughs I1 for collecting and conducting the removed juice from themachine; and driving mechanism'for releasing the ring peeler and for As speccally illustrated,v the driving mechanism consists primarily of a main drive shaft I8 mounted in lbearings I9 carried -by the base-20 of themachine and having a pulley-2| secured Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic topview of a machine 55. to one lend thereof; intermeshing spur-"gears 22 Fig. 5 is an enlarged partv sectional fragmenv operating the juice extraction 50 rotors.

drivingly connecting the shaft I3 withl a crankshaft 23 which is connected through a connecting rod 24 and cros'shead 25 with the feed plunger 3; bevel gearing 26 drivingly connecting the shaft I8 and the primary rotor II; bevel may be formed or'segments connected to and movable with the knives 43, and the plunger 3 is movable centrally through the guides 42, 44 and Vknife ring, so as to push the successive objects 3 past the knives 43 and into the successive pockets or cups I2 as these objects are ring peeled by the knives.

The guide plate I3 may be' resiliently sus-v pended from the frame 23 by springs 31, and the conveying pockets or cups I2, I2' are preferably provided with internal ribs 33 in order to grip and retain the objects 9. see Fig. 6. 'I'he cups :12, I2' are also preferably detachably secured to l the rotors II. I4 by means of bolts 39 or the like;

The mechanism for feeding the :mit objects s l in succession toward the ring peeler or grinding and cutting mechanism III, comprises the horizontally reciprocal plunger 8 which is provided with end projections or points 35 adapted to penetrate the skins .of the objects 9 which are depositedln succession into the feed hopper 36, and thus prevent rotation`of the spherical bodies while ring peeling is being elfected. The plunger 3, may'be slidably confined within a tubular casing31 which is likewise slidably conilned'in a fixed frame 38, and the-plunger' 3 has an integral collar 39 between which and the opposite end of the casing 31, a compression spring 43 is confined. `With this assemblage, the casing 31 will normally move with the plunger 3, until the end flange 4I thereof engages the initialguide located y directly in advance of the ring peeling knives, whereupon the movement of the casing 31 may be arrested without preventing the plunger 3 from moving further toward the cups I2.

The guiding andcutting mechanism III is quite similar in construction to the ordinary o orn cutter for removing the corn kernels from the cob, and consists of a radially expansible annular i y diminished in diameter, all of the segments will move in unison away from or toward the axis i ofthe plunger 3. Springs A43 coacting with the outer ends of the lever arms 45, or a single spring eoacting with the ring 41 tend to keep the guide 42 contracted at all times, see Fig. 4. The several l' vcutter segments-or knives 43 are likewise carried by pivotally suspended lever arms 43 mounted on inxed pivots and connected to a common ring il, so that when the knives 443 move radially.

' they likewise move in unison. The two rings 41,

BI are preferably interconnected so that the guide segments and the knives also move in unisontoward and away from the common of movement of the plunger 3, and the knife arms 43 may also be provided with springs 32 for urging the knives 43 inwardly, see Fig. 3. The rings 41,'3I are connected by arms to a toothedrack 34 with which a spring pressed pavvll 33 is ccoperable to hold the guide 42 and knives 43 in expllded'position during cutting, and the pawl 33 is relesable by the crank 23 acting upon a release rod 58 as illustrated. diagrammatically in Fig. 3. as the crank revolves. The nal guide 44 and the reamers -I3, I3' are likewise detachably secured to their driving rotors by means of similar bolts 60, see Fig. 5. While the conveyor cups I2,

I2 may also be provided with means for positively removing the reamed objects or peelings therefrom, .these reamed peelings will be removed or1 withdrawn from the cups'by the reamers I3, I3' after the juice has been extracted; but it is preferable to provide nozzles 3|, 32 for directing `jets of cleansing fluid into the cups I2, I2v after the objects have been removed therefrom, invorder to remove contaminating skin oils or the like. The juice removing troughs I1 should preferably be so positioned that the liquid from the nozzles BI, 32 and thejuice dropping from the cutter blade I5, will not enter these troughs. I'he cutter blade. I3 may be provided either with a peripheral knife edge or with relatively fine saw teeth, andthe blade supporting shaft 32 may be provided with blade positioning mechanism consisting of a lever 34 pivotally suspended at one end from the frame 23 and having its opposite end connected to a spring 35, while the medial position thereof is engaged by a stronger spring 33 embracing the shaft 32. The blade Il will thus be constantly resiliently urged toward the adjacent bearing 33 and will be maintained in a plane midway between the pockets or cups I2, I2 at the place of closest approach of these cups.

During normal operation of my improved fruit juice extractinamechanism. power is applied to the pulley 2l and the main shaft I3 is rotating constantly. This constant rotation of the shaft Il is transmitted totherotors II, I4 andto the reamers I3, I3', and causes the cups I2,AI2' and the reamers to revolve. Motion is simultaneously transmitted through the gearing 22, crank shaft,

connecting rod 24 and crosshead 23 to the feed peeling from each of the objects. 1 The ring peeled objects are then forced by the plunger through the guide 44 and into the successive pockets or cups I2. The cups I2 transport the successive ring peeled objects 3 toward the severingsone.

where these objects are cutin' two along a substantially central plane `at the area thereof, .by the severing knife I3. v'lhehalved objects are submuently traDSDOrted-by the cups I2, I2'Lrespectively. into the xo'ne of action of the reamer- I3, I3' respectively, where thejuice is Y removed and is deposited by gravityini'oy the troughs I1.`v The residualpeelingsareisubsequently removed from the oups I2, I2' by the reamers I3, I3', and .are deposited by gravity from the mechanism. I'heemptycups I2, I2'arc saidnbjecta sion of `approximately spherical fruit objects subsequently conveyed past the nozzles il, 52` where they are thoroughly cieansedpreparato'ry to the introduction of subsequent fruit objects.

In this .manner the"successive objects 9 are automatically ring peeled, halved andhave the= juice eiectively removed therefro without conor skins. By virtue of the fact thatthe objects are first ring peeled, and that they-are subse-y quently severed at the peeled portions, no peel-' ing oils canl enter the juice which is subsequently extracted, and care has been taken throughoutthe operation not to permit contamination of the juice by these oils. While the feedingof objects 9 to the machine has been described as being effected manually, this feeding can v.obv'iously be accomplished automatically and *the expansible and contractible gauges 42, M cooperting with the likewise expansible and contractible knife series, will cause the parts o-0p` erate eifectvely on objects 9 of various.diameter. 'Ihetubular casing 31 cooperating with the feed plunger 8, .will cause effective delivery of the objects 9 to the initial guide 42', while permitting the plunger 8 to carry the objects past the knives 43 and through the inal guide 44. While the machine for carrying on the improvement, has been shown in rather diagrammatical form, and some refinements may be desirable in the actual construction thereof, it should be apparent that this machine is capable of performing the several steps involved in the improved mode of extraction; It is also to be notedthat the ratchet mechanism comprising the toothed segment or rack 54 and the pawl 55, functions to positively hold the knives 43 open or in separated condition, until the successive ring peeled objects 9 have passed through the Iguides 44, whereupon the pawl 55 is released by the crank 23 and the knives 43 are again returned to the position shown in Fig. 3. Another important feature of my present improvement is the 'fact that only the outer portion of the skin which contains the contaminating'matter, need be ref. moved, and it is not necessary or desirable to remove the entire skin or peeling at the vring peeled zones. With my invention it is desirable to remove as little of the peeling as necessary to eliminate oil cells :at the zone of severance, so that enough peeling devoid of oil cells is left at this zone to retain the fruit in shape, and the plungers or reamers will not tear the remaining cumscribing ring of peeling from each of the successive objects, a rotor having pockets adapted to receive the unpeeled portionl of eachof the successive objects on one side of the peeled ring, another rotor having pockets adapted to receive the other unpeeled portion of each object, means forlsevering each object at the peeled area only while held by both of said rotoljrS, and means for taminating the juice with oils from the peelings passing the same, a reciprocal plunger for feeding lthe objects in succession pastsaid cutter, a

rotor formed to receive the successive objects delivered from said cutter, another rotor adapted to engage the successive objects being conveyed by said receiving rotor, .means for severing the successive objects at the peeled areal only while from successive fruit objects, mechanism for adi Y engaged by both rotors at the unpeeled areas, and means for'extracting the juice from the halfobjects carried by said rotors.

3.- In combinatiommeans `for extracting juice,

vancing the objects in succession along an axis and toward said extracting means, a cutter for ring peeling the lsuccessive objects, said cutter having knives movable toward and away from said axis of advancement of theobjectspast the cutter and toward said extracting means to conform with objects of various diameters, and means for retaining said knives in spread condition until after the objects have been delivered 4from the zone oi' cutting to said extracting extracting the juice from the severed'areas of successive fruit objects toward said extracting means, and means for holding said knives in spread formation after eachlobject has been ring peeled and while said feeding mechanism is still effective. l

5. In combination, juice extracting means, mechanism for feeding the successive objects along an axis toward said extracting means,'a ring peeling cutter having knives movable toward and away from said axis of feeding of successive fruit objects toward said extracting means, expansible means for centralizing each object with respect to said cutter,` and means for holding said knives in spread formation after each ob ject has been ring peeled and while said feeding mechanism is still effective. y

` 6. Incombination, means for extracting juice from successive fruit objects, a reciprocable plunger for feeding the successive objects along a rectilineal axis toward said extracting means, a cutter for ring peeling each oi' the successive objects, said cutter having peeling knives movable toward and away from said axis,.and means for retaining said Iknives in spread condition after each object has been ring peeled'and until the. object has been delivered from the cutting zone by said plunger.

7. In combination, means for removing a circumscribing ring of peeling from each of a succession of fruit objects, a rotor having pocketsl adapted to receive the unpeeleiJ ion of each of the successive objects on one side of the peeled ring, another rotor having complementary pockets adapted to receive the other unpeeled portion of each object, means for severing each object at the ring peeled area only while'the' object is being held by both of said rotors, and means for extracting juice from the .objects at the severed areas.

8. In` combination, a cutter annular strip bf peeling from each of a succession 'of fruit objects passing lthe same, a rotor formed to receive lthe successive objects delivered from said cutter, .another rotor adapted to engage the successive objects being transported by said receiving rotor, means yfor severing the suc-V for removing an cessive objects-at the peeled area only while each object is engaged by both rotors at the unpeeled from the half-objects.

9. In combination, means fr removing approximately central ring of peeling from each cfa succession of round fruit objects advancing along a definite path, a rotorformed to receive the successive objects delivered from said peeling means, another rotor adapted to engage each object being transported by said receiving rotor, means for severing each object at the peeled area only thereof while ythe object is engaged by both rotors at the unpeeled areas thereof, and means for extracting juice from the half-objects at the'.

adapted to engage each object being transported by said receiving pockets, means for severing each object -at the peeled area only thereof while the object is engaged by pockets of both of said series at the unpeeled areas thereof, and means for exareas thereof, and means for extracting the juice l trictitig juice from the severed areas of the halfo ec 11. In combination, means for centrally ring peeling eachl of a succession of round objects advancing along a definite path, a sexies of advancing pockets formed to receive the successive ring peeled objects delivered from said peeling means. another series of advancing pockets adapted to engage each'object being transported by said receiving pockets, l'means for severing each object at the peeled area only thereof while the object is being held by pockets of both series at the unpeeledV areas thereof, and means for extracting fjuice from the severed areas of the half-objects.

12. In combination. means for centrally ring peeling each of a succession oi' round objects advancing along a denite path. a series of advancing object carriers formed to receive the successive ring peeled objects delivered from said peel- ,ing means, another series of advancing carriers ,adapted to engage each object being transported by said receiving carriers, means for severing each object at the peeled area only thereof while .the object is being held by carriers of both series, and means for extracting juice from the severed areas of the half-objects.

FRANK D. CHAPMAN. 

